"Treat others as you wish to be treated. Lead by example. Speak words you wouldn't mind hearing… Above all, be kind". Tracy Solomon

Tag Archives: “hate crime”

The more often a story plays on the news or is written in the papers about discrimination, hate crimes, intolerance against others for numerous reasons, it should be opening the doors to more mature communications and closing the gaps of miscommunication.

It seems even though more people are talking and talking that less people are really listening. It appears to actually be fueling more hate and more intolerance. Why is that the case? Why is there so much division within the “United” States of America? Something has to be fueling the continued division and causing this to not only grow, but to become such an issue that even when the country is in such turmoil economically and suffering from tremendous job losses and countless crisis that needs attention.

Is this a political issue or an agenda of politicians? Does it lean from one party to another? Does the possibility of so much intolerance towards one another benefit one party over another to the point that this would be beneficial in the long run? That wouldn’t really make sense. Maybe in some illogical concept one could see it but in the long term, any time there is a period of hatred it will bring the downfall of any government or society.

Is this centered completely around typical discrimination? In many ways, almost everyone has some sort of discrimination in them. It may not be racial or towards another person’s religion. It may not focus on a person’s sexual orientation or whether they are rich or poor but there are many ways to discriminate against people by judging them before you actually know them. The more often a person draws conclusions, the easier and more acceptable it seems to be.

Intolerance is the unwillingness or refusal to accept people who are different from you, or views, beliefs, or lifestyles that differ from your own. Nowhere in the definition does is say a person has the inability to have tolerance to accept people. It says they are unwilling or they refuse to accept the person’s differences. Everyone can choose to become tolerant.

At this point, the U.S. is in a crisis. The crisis is not just economic or jobs. The major crisis is within America. Americans need to find the ability to work on these inner issues of discrimination, intolerance and hate. Without fixing the inner issues, the economy and job crisis, the educational issues and the energy crisis cannot to move forward. America is only as strong as its weakest links.

Americans vote for the leaders that represent them in each state and in Washington D.C. Americans vote for the President. Americans vote for a great number of things. These votes represent what each voter is saying they want to see done and who they choose to represent them.

However, for this to work, each voter has to start by taking responsibility for themselves in their everyday life. Each person has to take responsibility for their everyday activity and how they treat every other person they encounter. Everyone has to expect that from the leaders they chose when they are in their home state and when they are in Washington, willing to work together for the good of their state and for the good of their country. Unless someone is working for the good of others, nothing will move forward.

Hate, discrimination, intolerance and waiting for someone else to start the process to end these problems is just not going to work. It takes each of us starting the process to end this and end this now, right away.

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” Samuel Johnson

In an article posted on CNN’s AC360 Blog, “What’s Behind Rand Paul’s Confusion“, there are a lot of points on the government’s role in the Civil Rights of racial equality. Should the government even be involved? Should there be any say, on the government’s part, about racial equality in a private business or individuals?

This can go way beyond what many people may be seeing so I have decided to take a few steps forward and a few steps back.

First of all, what is a Hate Crime? We have started seeing a lot of Hate Crimes and people being punished and prosecuted for them. So what defines a Hate Crime?

Hate Crime: “a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin”

Where do Hate Crimes typically happen? The amount of hate crimes have continued to rise but from reports filed in 2008, the FBI put these numbers together.

31.9% near homes or residences, 17.4% on highways, roads, alleys, or streets, 11.7% happened at schools or colleges, 6.1% took place in parking lots or garages, 4.2% occurred in churches, synagogues, or temples, 2.2% took place in restaurants, 1.8% transpired in bars or nightclubs, 11.9% occurred in other or unknown locations, 18.3% took place in the remaining specified location categories or in multiple locations.

This does not even mention Hate Crimes for other reasons such as religion, sexual orientation, disabilities or other reasons. Not all Hate Crimes have been categorized.

Are these crimes okay? Maybe I should word this differently. Are these crimes okay on private property? Maybe inside a private business?

During the past 7 years, hate crimes have risen against blacks and Hispanics. Often these crimes are against each other in the forms of gangs but more and more there is a growing trend of hate crimes against Hispanics as the debates over the Comprehensive Immigration Reform escalates. Although many differences arise when our government is discussing changes or reforms, this has caused heated debates which have caused violence to erupt in the Extremist Anti-Immigration Groups.

Okay, so it seems people want to step backwards with progress that has been made. That is what we would be doing here. No matter how pretty you draw the picture, how you word your point, that is what would be going on. We would be stepping backwards. This is talking about INEQUALITY.

Maybe this seems simple to you, bugs you, pisses you off that people would want to do this. Maybe it doesn’t. It bugs the hell out me!!

First of all, who says how white or dark your skin has to be for you to be the “right” color to come and go from one place or another? REALLY? How can someone seriously think that the color of one’s skin makes that person better than another person? Where would that logic come from? How about if we started giving IQ tests to everyone to see if they could come and go from grocery stores, malls, churches, public libraries, or amusement parks. But that would be something we could ultimately study for and improve on. So that isn’t fair. What about if we went by a person’s height? If you are over a certain height or under a certain height, this allows you certain privileges. So everyone over 5’6” can vote. That rules me out. How about you? What is the “right” person to have all the rights? Who actually gets to decide that?? Who makes the rules? Who has the list? What list are you on? The right one or the wrong one? You may not know because the “LIST” may be changing.

Talking about voting, did you read my last blog, “Who is Running Our Country“? Until 1920, women didn’t have the right to vote. Are we going to take that away too? When is that going to be something up for discussion? How about if private businesses, restaurants or bookstores suddenly said, we don’t women in here? Would that cause an issue? How about if they said we don’t want men? How about if whites were discriminated against??Whoa… is that too much? Unheard of in this country? Remember that before we fought for equal rights, if you read my last blog, white men over the age of 21 were the only ones allowed to vote. White men received the fairest pay, had the best jobs. Isn’t that still a problem today? Isn’t that still something that women are trying to fight for equality on?

If you look at unemployment from April 2009 through April 2010, there is a substantial difference between white and black Americans. This is with the protection of the Civil Rights Act being “enforced” within the average workplace. Let’s say that suddenly different workplaces get the idea or the “permission” to do whatever they pleased. Turn away customers due to color. Hire and not hire with regard to race. I am not saying that every business would take advantage of this and I would certainly like to think that a great deal of America has moved beyond the days of discrimination. What would happen to jobless rates? Not just against blacks. Let’s remember, the Civil Rights Act and what it said. Who did it protect?

If you click on the link, you will read the Civil Rights Act was written to protect anyone being discriminated against due to their individual race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Remember, everything that has been fought for, all rights that have been gained are just as easily taken away. The importance of this depends on which side you are on. The giver or the taker? The quiet one or the one speaking up? Sometimes, not doing anything is the same as taking part in. That doesn’t mean a person should go out and take part in a riot or send hate messages but standing up for what is right saves lives. Our soldiers stand up for is right everyday of their lives. Why would they do that if what they are fighting for may just be changed? Do they know there are people here saying that many of them possibly won’t be allowed in certain private business if things go the way some certain politicians think they should and should not be able to go? While these soldiers are fighting abroad, there is a war going on at home.

Rand Paul did not just get up and say these things out of “left field”. He said these things because they have been discussed and thought about. Some are saying that he just started running off at the mouth and should have stayed on topic? This may be his topic. That is the thing. We are getting more and more groups and individuals that are anti-government or trying to undo what has taken years and dedication to put together. I am not talking about “big government” or policies here. I am talking about the rights of individuals, people. Putting skin color aside, sex and religion we are all the same, right? Wrong.

Okay, so then we go to Arizona. I can fully understand a State wanting to take care of its people, its schools, libraries, the streets, the parks, etc. I am all for that. But, I also know that when I go out and I am not the one driving, I don’t carry around my driver’s license. I can guarantee that if you go to the mall near my house without announcing it ahead of time that more than 80% of the people (and I am shooting low there) have no proof of their citizenship. This is Tampa and there is a wide variety of ethnicity here. So, are they going to start questioning everyone here next? What about all the major cities? NY? LA? Chicago? Is that supposed to be the answer for a problem? What problem is that the answer for? What problems are they going to cause in Arizona while they think they are answering “this problem”? To me, this sounds like the streets of Mississippi and Georgia back in the 60’s. Pull someone over, say they were going a few MPH too fast, ask for some I.Ds from everyone and hope you find some immigrants, point proven!

Immigrants do not only come from countries of darker skins mind you. There are immigrants from every country with every skin color. So, I am not sure how Arizona is going to fulfill this new law? Are they really looking for illegal immigrants or Mexicans? They didn’t spell that out but it appears they are “looking for” Mexicans by their appearance.

America is THE LAND of opportunity but America is as strong as we make it and as weak as we let it become and lately, we are letting it become very weak. We are ALLOWING America to become very weak. I say that not out of disloyalty, quite the opposite! I say that because I am upset by the fact that a few rotten apples really can spoil a whole bunch. That isn’t just something my teachers used to say. That is really true! I am amazed and very saddened at how easily people can turn against another person and really not see that the other man is a father, a husband, he is the same as you but just has a different color of skin. I am in awe when I hear someone thinks that a woman can’t have the same job as a man and do just as good and possibly even better. To think this all had to be fought for at one time is unbelievable to me because that means that a lot of people had to die to get to the point for someone to think, “Hey this is getting really bad and we need to do something about it.” But we did fight to make a difference and end discrimination. And now, there is a growing number of absent minded idiots that actually think we should go back in a sense and disrespect all those lives that have been lost, disrespect those who died in those hateful episodes of nothing but rage and hate against another of God’s children. We should just forget about all of that and just say, “You know what, let’s just let people discriminate if they want.” Forget that!!! I am not going to sit by and not say anything or do anything. No I am not going to go grab my friends and start a riot or jump on some news show and tell others to turn violent or start a raging group. I am saying my part, telling people how I feel and why I feel that way. I am hoping you will pass this along, share your comments. If you disagree with me, why? What do you disagree with? I think people should be able to share their opinions with respect and why they feel what they feel but not just repeating someone else. We each have the ability to have our own thoughts. That is why we are each so individually important and should be treated rightfully so.

My point is every person is to be treated equally. It doesn’t matter what office building they walk in, what car they are in, what state they live in, what coffee shop they go in, which library, bookstore, mall, fast food restaurant, hotel, or law firm, anywhere they go. It doesn’t matter where they go to get a job. If they are qualified for the job on paper, they are qualified for the job in person.

“We can’t be who we are if we don’t respect where we have been.” Tracy Solomon